The aggressor state, Russia, and 11 other countries have confirmed that they are currently opposing the return of Ukrainian children. This was reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, commenting on the adoption of the UN resolution on the return of Ukrainian children, according to UNN.  

DetailsThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine welcomed the adoption by the UN General Assembly of the resolution “Return of Ukrainian Children”, initiated by Ukraine jointly with Canada and the European Union, and co-authored by 48 UN member states.

91 states voted for the resolution. The aggressor state, Russia, and 11 other countries have confirmed that they are currently opposing the return of Ukrainian children 

At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasizes that the UN decision “is a powerful signal of international solidarity and recognition that the forced deportation and forced displacement of Ukrainian children by the Russian Federation are gross violations of international humanitarian law and international law in the field of child protection.”

The voting results convincingly showed: the world community condemns Russia’s practice, which includes the illegal removal of children, changing their status and personal data, adoption by Russian families, programs of ideological influence and militarization 

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To date, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, only 1,850 children have been returned home — often after many months and multi-level searches and complex operations for their liberation. That is why international support and pressure on Russia are critically important.

The UN General Assembly demands that the Russian Federation immediately, safely and unconditionally return all Ukrainian children, and also cease any practices of deportation, forced displacement, separation from parents or guardians, alteration of personal data, illegal adoption and ideological processing. The adopted resolution also grants the UN Secretary-General a comprehensive mandate: to coordinate the work of all relevant UN structures for its implementation, to interact with the Russian Federation to obtain full information about the whereabouts, health status, legal status and conditions of stay of Ukrainian children and to ensure their return, to seek unhindered access for the UN and international humanitarian and monitoring organizations to the places of their detention, and to regularly inform member states about progress in fulfilling these tasks 

AddThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that it highly appreciates the important role of member states, international organizations and the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, who tirelessly work to ensure that every child can return home, undergo rehabilitation and integrate into a safe environment.

Ukraine will continue to work closely with international partners to ensure that every illegally removed child is found, protected and returned to their family. This is not only a humanitarian duty — it is a matter of justice, responsibility and adherence to the fundamental principles of international law 

The adoption of the UN General Assembly resolution “Return of Ukrainian Children” was an important success of Ukrainian diplomacy in difficult geopolitical conditions.

Out of 193 UN members, 92 countries voted “for” (initially 91, later Costa Rica joined), 12 voted “against”, 57 abstained, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summarized.

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